Railroad tank-car.



PATBNTED SEPT. 8, 1908.

J. w. VAN DYKEQ RAILROAD TANK GAR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1903 2 SHEETS-SHEET L NO MODEL.

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5M newton 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATEHTBD SEPT. 8, 1903.

W. VAN DYKE. RAILROAD TANK GAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20'. 1903.

no MODEL.

ms uoams PETER? c0 Pumuuma. wAsulumon, n.

' UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILROAD TAN K-CAR.

DPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,260, dated September 8, 1903.

Original application filed October 28, 190% Serial No. 129,174. Divided and this application filed May 20, 1903. SerialNo. 158.018. (N0 model.

tion officially numbered 113,083 to issue of even date with the patent hereon) I have devised a new or improved car of this description in which I dispense with the underframe previously employed touphold the tank and to support the severe stresses of compression.

and tension incident to the coupling, shifting, and hauling of such cars in trains and rely upon the tank to sustain the Weight of itself and contents and also to support the said stresses of compression and tension.v The present invention has more particular reference to such new or improved cars; but the parts, improvements, and combinations composing the present invention are intended, all and several, to be secured for all the uses to which they may, respectively, with or without modification, be applicable.

In accordance with the present invention the body brake-levers are mounted on the body-bolsters. Such construction is believed to be entirely new in railroad-cars and is considered more advantageous than a mounting directly on the tank, because in the former case the breaking off of the said brake-levers or their immediate supports is not liable to make a leak in the tank.

The invention also consists in other new parts,.improvements, and combinations, as herein specified.

The following description with the accompanying drawings illustrates what is considered the best mode of carrying the invention into effect, it being understood that modifications can be made so long as the substance of one or more of my hereinafter written claims is taken.

Figure 1 is a partial side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a railroad Here'tofore (see my prior patent applied for June 25, 1902, by'applicatank-car constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the bolsters with bracket for upholding the corresponding body brake-lever. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the tank discharge-pipe adapted to support the middle portions of the train-pipe and a brake-rod. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the body-bolster, the couplerbuffer, and the brake-levers at one end of the car. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the'body-bolster and brake-levers at the other end of the car; and Figs. 7 and 8 are bottom views corresponding, respectively, with Figs. 5 and 6.

Thetank a is a tight horizontal metal cylinder of curved plates lapped, riveted, and calked and is provided with the customary central dome and convex ends. The plates may be all of one thickness; but it is more advantageous to have the bottom end plates 2 reinforced as compared with the othersas, for example, by making them of increased thickness-say of three-eighths-inch metal when the other plates are of one-fourth inch. The tank is mounted upon wheeled trucks of any ordinary or suitable construction and is self-supporting between said trucks. As shown,.a body-bolster 11, secured to the tank at at each end thereof, rests upon the truckbolster c,-with center bearing 4, side bearings 6, and king-pin 8. What is considered the most advantageous construction of the body-bolster is to make it with a curved top plate 9, ribs 10, extending in the direction of curvature below said plate, a horizontal or nearly-horizontal bottom plate 11, which carries the center bearing a and side bearings 6, and a vertical web 12, the whole cast in one piece. Ribs 13, transverse to the curvature of the top plate 10, are shown between the bottom plate 11, web 12, and ribs 10. Extensions let and 15 of the top plate are also shown outside the ribs 10, there being ribs 16 and 17 under said extensions, respectively. This body-bolster is secured to the tank a by rivets which extend through the curved top plate 9.

As thus far described the body-bolsters are the same as in my said prior patent. In the present case they are, however, adapted to support the body brake-levers 3'7 and 38, Figs. 5 to 8, which transmit the power for applying the brakes from (either or both) the piston in the cylinder 11. of an air-brake and the wheel and axle 44 of a hand-brake. The lever 38, as shown, is pivoted at one end to the lug 84 on one body-bolster, (left hand in Fig. 1,) rests near the middle on a bracket 85, and is connected also at an intermediate point by the rod 39 with the lever 37. Its outer end is connected by the rod 36 with the brake-levert ofthe truck at thelefthand of Fig. 1. (See Fig. 6.) The lever 37 rests loosely upon two brackets 85 and, in addition to its before-mentioned connection with the rod 39, has connection at one end with the piston-rod 49 of the airbrake cylinder u and also with the rod 40 for receiving power through chain 43 from wheel and axle 44 and at the other end with the rod 35 for conveying the pressure to the live levert of the truck at the right of Fig. 1. Each bracket 85 is formed, as shown, of bent strap metal fastened at one end to the bottom of the body-bolster and at the other end to one of the ribs 16. rod 49 or the hand-operated rod 40 is advanced, the body brake-lever 37 is turned and pulls upon the rod 35, (which conveys the pressure to the live levert on the corresponding truck,) and also upon the rod 39, (which conveys the pressure through thelever 38 and rod 36 to the live lever on the other truck.)

The chain 43 intermediate the wheel and axle 44 and the rod 40 runs over a pulley 45 on the coupler-buffer frame hereinafter referred to and also around a pulley in the end,

of the rod 40, its end being fastened to the bracket 46. This latter is fastened to the lugs 47 and 48 of the coupler-buffer frame.

For an air-brake the cylinder a, Fig. 1,'and the auxiliary reservoir w, with triple valve 00, may be suspended by hangers from the tank a. The train-pipe z is upheld at each end of the car from the coupler-buffer frame (described below) by a U-shaped bolt 77 and passes through holes in the ribs l0 and Web 12 of the body-bolster. It is provided with a branch 55,1eading to the triple valve m. At 56 is shown a hanger which may be used to aid in upholding the middle portions of the train-pipe z and the brake-rod 39. A special improvement consists, however, in utilizing the tank discharge-pipe 58 (see Figs. 3 and 4) to support the middle portion of (either or both) the train-pipe z and the brake-rod 39.

A clip 88 is shown for attaching the former to said discharge-pipe and a book 90 for receiving the brake-rod 39. The bracket 56 could be used in addition, (if further support should be desired,) or it could be dispensed with. At 89 is a lug for attaching the chain of the cover (not shown) for pipe 58.

The wheeled trucks may be of any ordinary or suitable description. Under each truckbolster is shown the channel-iron r, by which the side frames (not shown) of the truck are rigidly connected together. The brakes on the trucks may also be of any ordinary or suitable description. By way of example, le-

Whenever either the piston-' memo vers s and t, interconnected by a strut 33, are shown for operating inside hung brakes. Brake-beams of known or suitable construction (not shown) carry the brake-shoes (not shown) of known or suitable construction and are hinged to the lower ends of the levers s and t in any known or suitable way. The upper end of the dead lever sis shown connected by a pivot-pin with the link 34, which has a number of holes for enabling said pin to be adjustedin position therein and is fastened to the truck-bolster c in the known way. The upper end of each live lever 15 is connected bya pivot-joint with the brake-rod 35, (or 36,) as before mentioned. By pulling on this rod the lower ends of the levers s and t are spread apart and the brakes applied.

The stresses of tension in hauling the car and of compression in coupling, stopping,

and pushing the same are borne and transmitted by the tank itself instead of by an underframe, as prior to the invention by me 7 of the new or improved car embraced in my said prior patent. The tank-supporting and tank-hauling means illustrated therein by way of example are likewise shown herein. In addition to the body-bolsters resting upon the wheeled trucks, as before described, they consist of coupler-buffers whose respective frames consist each of a curved plate 19, riveted to the bottom end plate 2 of the tank and provided with integrally-formed depending flanges 21, that form the housing for the draftrigging. Each coupler buffer frame has flanges 20 at its inner end, which flanges are bolted to the flanges 18 of the corresponding body-bolster.

The draft-rigging consists, as shown, of a draw-bar e and two sets of springs g, with a coupling-head d, which is fast on one end of the said draw-bar, and a looped strap f, which incloses the followers h at the ends of the springs g and whose own ends are fastened to the draw-bar near the latters rear end. There are two springs to each set, and each follower bears against the ends of two springs. One set of followers lies between the closed end of the looped strap f and the stops 62 (left-hand end of Fig. 1) on said strap f, and the other set between said stops 62 and the rear end of the draw-bar e. For each set of followers h there are, Fig- 5, on the couplerbuffer frame stops 22, integral with the flanges 21, the ends of each pair of followers lying between a corresponding pair of stops, after a very common arrangement in the draft-rigging of railroad-cars. The followers 71 are upheld by the rods 63, removably supported in lugs 64 of the coupler-buffer frame, and the front end of the draw-bar is upheld by the rods 65, removably supported in the lugs 66.

The front portion of each top plate 19 is dropped at 70 sufficiently to give access beyond the flanges 21 to the seam which fastens the head of the tank to the bottom end plate in order that the said seam may be calked originally and kept tight afterward. With the same object the metal of said plate under said seam between the flanges 21 is removed or left out, (at 71.)

As a safeguard against leakage by the starting of a rivet or otherwise patches or coverplates j are fastened inside the tank over the areas of fastening the body-bolsters and the coupler-buffer frame, (either or both.) Said patches or plates are best secured by rivets and are calked or otherwise made tight, so that the tank will not leak even if there should be a hole or holes in the portion of the tank covered by a patch.

In my application, Serial No. 129,174, filed October 28, 1902, of which the present application is a division and continuation, the present invention is shown in connection with other matters, which are not shown herein, because they are reserved to my said application Serial No. 129,174.. The subject-matter of this latter as originally filed has been divided solely on account of oiiicial requirement. The patent on the present divisional subject-matter is to be considered as being in legal effect intermediate my said prior patent and that for the subject-matter reserved as aforesaid to application Serial No. 129,174. In other words,whatever of inventive novelty iscontained in application Serial No. 113,083 is intended to be secured by the patent to issue on it; whatever is contained in the present application, Serial No. 158,018, and not in application Serial No. 113,083 is intended to be secured by the patent to issue hereon, and whatever is contained in application Serial No. 129,174 and not in application Serial No. 113,083 nor in the present application, Serial No. 158,018, is intended to be secured in the patent to issue on said application Serial No. 129,174.

I claim as my invention or discovery-- 1. The combination with a tight metal tank in the form of a self-supporting horizontal cylinder mounted 011 wheeled trucks and provided with coupler-butters secured to said tank in such manner that the stresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping and pushing are borne and transmitted by the tank itself, instead of by an underframe, of a discharge-pipe for said tank, an air-brake cylinder secured to said tank, a train-pipe leading to said cylinder and held partly by the means for supporting and hauling the tank and partly by said dischargepipe, and a brake mechanism connected with the piston of said cylinder and supported in part by said means and in part by said discharge-pipe, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a tight metal tank in the form of a self-supporting horizontal cylinder mounted on wheeled trucks and provided with coupler-buffers secured to said tank in such manner that the stresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping and pushing are borne and transmit-ted by the tank itself, instead of by an underframe, of a discharge-pipe for said tank, and an air-brake train-pipe held partly by said discharge-pipe, substantially as described.

1. The combination with a tight metal tank in the form of a self-supporting horizontal cylinder mounted on wheeled trucks by means of body-bolsters and provided with c0upler buffers secured to said tank in such manner that the stresses of tension in hauling and of compression in coupling, stopping and pushing are borne and transmitted by the tank itself, instead of by an underframe, of a brake mechanism which includes movable devices mounted on said body bolsters, substantially as described;

5. The combination with a tank, and abodybolster secured thereto, of a tight patch inside the tank over the area of fastening said bodybolster, and a brake mechanism which includes a movable device mounted on said body-bolster, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a tank, and a bodybolster secured thereto, of a brake mechanism which includes a movable device mounted on said bolster, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a body-bolster, of a brake mechanism which includes a movable device mounted on said bolster, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a body-bolster, of a body brake-lever mounted on said bolster, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a tank, a body-bolster at each end of said tank, and a brake mechanism which includes movable devices mounted on said bolster, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a tank, a body-bolster at each end of said tank, and interconnected body brake-levers mounted on said bolsters, respectively, substantially as described.

11. The combination of a tank havinga discharge-pipe, a bod y-bolster at each end of said tank, a body-brake lever mounted on each bolster, a connecting-rod between said levers, and a supporting device on said dischargepipe for said rod, substantially as described.

12. A railroad tank-car having a brake mechanism which includes a body brake-le Ver mounted on a body-bolster, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a tank having a pipe and a movable portion of thebrake mechanism, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a tank, and a body-bolster secu red thereto, of a body brakelever mounted on said bolster, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. VAN DYKE.

Witnesses:

W. M. IRISH, JOHN MORHEW. 

